Let’s face it, some days are better than others, and if you’re neck deep in college assignments, those bad days can turn into bad weeks. It can be extremely overwhelming when the semester kicks into full swing, and all of a sudden, everything is due and you have a ton of projects and exams. With the amount of commitments, I have, I often find myself struggling to get everything done, and subsequently, my stress levels go through the roof. Over the years though, I’ve gotten pretty good at finding methods that really help me make it through. It’s pretty tricky at first, but making certain things routine and remembering to schedule in some personal time can really be a life saver. Considering this past week was especially rough for me, I thought I’d share a few of the things that helped keep me afloat.
The number one life saver for me this week was self-care. For me personally, that means regular trips to the gym to run and lift some stress away, some calming new scents for my electric wax warmer, hot showers, and some comfy clothes. Essentially, it’s the little things you can do for yourself that make a big difference. Make a list of things that make you happy and incorporate them into your week. Maybe it’s your favorite snack, a fancy lotion, or dressing up nicely. As long as it makes you happy, toss it into your week. These things that may seem simple can turn into a great pick-me-up when you need it most. Trust me, that pack of donuts is really going to come in handy at 2:00am when you’re still cramming for that exam.
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The second thing that helped me through this week was my handy dandy… NOTEBOOK! (10 points if you get the reference) I’m one of those people who’s really, really bad at keeping a planner. I put all of my important meetings in the calendar widget on my phone, but that’s about as much as I can remember to keep up with. Instead, I carry a small journal-type notebook that I write everything and anything into; meeting notes, homework assignments, appointment reminders, article ideas, you name it. My notebook pretty much contains my entire life, and having it on hand to look back on when I need it has saved me from many a missed assignment. The most important things in my notebook are daily to-do lists. Every morning, I make a list of everything I need to do, and the priority level all of those things are on. High priority items get checked off first, and low priorities come last. Any low priorities that don’t get done get moved to the next day, which brings me to my next tip…
…Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. One of the most overwhelming things about having a lot to do is that it always feels like all of those things need to get done right that second. The most helpful thing about prioritizing is that you realize that you have way more time than you thought to get some things done. I promise you, one of the best feelings in the world is taking time to realize that the thing you’ve been stressing to get to all day doesn’t actually need to be done until tomorrow.
Now that prioritizing helped open up a cozy little space in your schedule, take a nap! If you’re a college student like me, I don’t even need to tell you how amazing naps are. Even a quick cat nap can be that little boost you needed to get you through the day. It’s incredibly important to give yourself time to rest, because the longer you keep going on low energy, the harder it’s going to be to get everything done. Not to mention, things are going to take a lot longer too, so go ahead, take your power nap, and then get back to it. Just make sure to set an alarm.
Speaking of alarms, set alerts and reminders on your smart phone for meetings! Most calendar apps nowadays let you get reminders fifteen or so minutes before you need to be somewhere. I cannot tell you how many times an alert from my calendar as saved me from missing important meetings. The second you schedule a meeting or appointment, put it into your phone's calendar. You’ll thank me later.
Finally, one of the most important keys to getting through stressful week: Learn the word “no”. I get it. When your friends asks you for help on this or that assignment, or when your organization tries to get you to pick up an extra responsibility, you really want to be able to help. But take a moment to evaluate the responsibilities you already have lined up. Is that extra thing going to keep you from being able to get everything done? If so, just explain to the person asking that you’re already incredibly swamped and that you’ll try and help some other time. I can promise you that it’s more than likely that person will understand. Take it from the queen of over-commitment, trying to do everything you’re asked all the time is pretty near impossible, and it’s going to send your stress level through the roof.
Those are just some of the things that help me juggle all of my responsibilities. I hope that some of them can be really helpful the next time you’re feeling buried under a mountain of responsibility. What are some of your best tips to get through the work week?
